Day 64: FotLC through the 113 lenses from The Art of Game Design

Day 64 - Lens 3: The Lens of Venue
The places we play exert a tremendous influence on the designs of our games. To make sure you aren't designing in a vacuum, ask yourself these questions:

What type of venue best suits the game I'm trying to create?
The game is intended for a home gaming table, but I have added aspects to the game for public play at conventions. The role of The Teller, teaching the game has become part of the rules documents and I have gone so far as to consider audience participation for things like callbacks based on in game events.

Does my venue have special properties that will influence my game?
The game benefits from focused play which is easy in a home gaming environment. But it is engaging enough that I have not had any trouble keeping people's attention in even the most chaotic environments. I wonder how engaging the game is for spectators, I know that I am interested in the game when I am watching it, but as the developer I may be the only one...

What elements of my game are in harmony with my venue? What elements are not?
Mostly I think that the design elements are in harmony with the home and public venues. The game in intense and focused and drives interactions between the players. The play is also dramatic and demonstrative and tends to draw a crowd in public play.

NOTE: The abandoned AR game that Fall of the Last City was a paper prototype for was intended to be played in contained public venues, areas like a college campus or a few blocks of a City center or even a large park. That is not reflected in the game board, but the spirit of players actively moving around in real time was translated into the board game play.